Residency
by Court1
Summary: Hank tells Logan a secret few in the mansion know about, his past with Remy. Set in Remy's childhood during Hank's Residency at a New Orleans hospital.
1. Part 1

---------------
Title: Residency
Date Written: October 2002
Author: Court 
Rating: PG13/R
Pairing: None
Feedback: remylebeau@yahoo.com 
Website: http://www.lediableblanc.com/personal/fanfic 
Fandom: AU X-men Comicverse 
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Marvel, not me. I make no money from my fanfiction. 
Status: Unfinished 
Archive: Go ahead, just email me, tell me where. 
Warning: Language
Notes: This is AU, so some or all of the original Marvel plot did not happen! As usual, I went easy on the accents. As my trademark, I have chosen misspellings and bad grammar just to annoy my English teacher. ^_^ 
***~*~*This means flashback*~*~*~ **If you want the Wayne's World noises you will have to make them yourself!
Summary: Hank tells Logan a secret few in the mansion know about, his past with Remy. Events take place during Hank's residency in a New Orleans hospital. Most of the story takes place in Remy's childhood, after the Antiquary and before the Guild. 
----------------

"Ham?"

"Check!"

"Bread?"

"Check!"

"Cheese? Mustard? Chips?"

"Check, check and check."

Hank packed the rest of the food in the basket and handed it to Jean. "That should be everything. I have one more item I will add to my menu, but I must retrieve it secretly to secure it's hiding place from prying eyes." He gave the red head a toothy grin.

Jean just shook her head. "Twinkies. Will you two ever grow up?"

Hank gave Jean a false look of horror, then winked. "Never think of it!" They both turned towards the kitchen door when it opened and Logan walked in.

"Any luck?" 

"Sorry Jeannie, I can't get him out of his room." Logan shrugged. 

"I wish he would at least try to be part of this family. The only time any of us see him is during missions and danger room sessions. After that he just shuts himself away." She picked up the basket that Hank had helped her pack. "I guess I will meet you two outside. Thanks for trying Logan."

"Anytime Red, sorry I couldn't convince him. I could always threaten him." He raised his eyebrow. If she gave him permission he would go up there and drag the Cajun from his room.

"No Logan, we cannot force him, that wouldn't do much good." With that Jean walked out to the picnic. They would have it every year at the same time just to celebrate being a family. This year it wouldn't be the same without Remy.

"Remy is not coming?" Hank had worried about Remy being so withdrawn since his return. He had apologized to Remy for his actions on several occasions, but it never seemed to matter. He knew that his betrayal hit Remy harder then the others. They shared a bond that few in the mansion even knew about. He felt awful about the trial and leaving him behind. He had no excuses, but he was truly sorry. To hear Remy was not coming to the family picnic was hard to except.

"Nope. The kid says he doesn't want to come. He's had a hard time coming back, Blue. I don't blame him too much. He's afraid to get hurt again." Logan shrugged, what else could he say or do.

"If he is afraid to reconnect with the group then why has he returned to the mansion? It doesn't make sense. He cannot stay locked up in his room the rest of his natural life!"

"I asked him the same thing and he just said he owed us. I have no clue what the hell....Hank, are ya alright?" Logan could see the anger on Hank's face. He knew he had just triggered Hank's anger towards Remy, he just didn't know why. Hank and Remy always had some odd bond that the kid never seemed to have with anyone else. It had been strained because of the trial and betrayal, but it was still there. 

Hank bit back his anger. He couldn't blame this on Remy, not entirely. He knew a lot about Remy's past and upbringing, and it was mainly to blame. Even with that knowledge he couldn't help be angry with Remy for being so foolish. "I would have thought the young man would have grown out of that by now!"

Logan raised an eyebrow at the doctor. "Grown out of what?"

Hank just shook his head. "I will tell you later. Where is he? I need to speak with him."

Logan pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Should still be holed up in his room." Logan stopped Hank as he past him to leave the kitchen. "I'm holding ya to that, ya know."

"Holding me to what?" 

"You're going to tell me whats going on between ya two." Logan did his best to make it sound more like a threat then a request. He saw Hank nod reluctantly. Before he released Hank he gave him one last warning. "Take it easy on the brat, he's had it hard enough lately."

---------

Hank didn't bother knocking on the door. He was too angry for manners. He opened the door to Remy's room and stepped inside. "Remy?" He looked around the room and found the Cajun curled up on the open window pane staring into the field below.

"What do y' want Henri?"

Hank didn't let Remy's somber tone phase him. He marched over to the window and glared at the young man perched on the pane. "Why are you not joining us on the picnic?"

Remy sighed. "I already went through this with Logan, I don't want to go."

"You do not want to go or you are afraid to go? This is ridiculous Remy, you cannot spend your time locked in this room. It is unhealthy, mentally and physically..." Hank stopped when he saw Remy roll his eyes and stare off into the field again, obviously ignoring his doctorly advice. "I just don't understand why you are keeping us at a distance. We have all apologized, and we all truly are sorry. I don't understand what more you want from us. We want you to be a part of this family again, but you are making it very difficult."

Remy glared at the doctor. "Who says I want to be a part of this family? I'm not setting myself up again!" Remy huffed and looked out the window again. He had said too much already.

"Setting yourself up? For what Remy? Are you afraid we will betray you again? Is that it?" Hank put one large hand on Remy's shoulder and turned the young man around to face him. "You must allow us a second chance. We are giving you one."

Remy shrugged off Hank's hand angrily. "I don't want a second chance, I know I don't deserve it. That's not why I'm here."

Hank's anger flared again. He hated when Remy was stubborn and foolish. "Yes, I know why you are here. Logan told me. You believe you owe us. I thought we talked through this when your were younger. We do not own you Remy. When are you going to learn that just because someone gives you shelter does not mean you are their slave? You do not have to pay the X-men back for being your family. We will do that for free. We did before and we will continue to now, if you give us the chance."

"I don't know Henri."

"It's alright. I will not force you to join us at the festivities, but I want you to think about why you are here. I do not think you should live here..." Hank saw the fear creep into Remy's eyes and he shook his head. "Let me finish. I do not think you should live here if your only reason is to pay a dept to your misplaced loyalty. I want you to stay here because you want to be here. No other reason."

Remy couldn't argue. He didn't want to. He just nodded, silently agreeing to think it through.

"Good. Well, I am going to venture down to the picnic. I hope you will join us later. I know Jean and Logan are very disappointed you decided to stay in your room. I also feel you will regret missing the joyous occasion later as well." Hank grinned at Remy, hoping he would take the bait.

Remy couldn't help but smile back, there was always something contagious about Hank's happiness. "And why would I be regretting it so much?"

Hank playfully ignored answering the question until he was almost out the door. "Well not only would you be missing my extraordinary company. I was just on the way to pick up my hidden stash of Twinkies, and if I remember correctly, a box of Ho Ho's some how got mixed in with them. I don't know who is going to eat those horrid things since you will not attend." Hank smiled and shut the door. He heard Remy's chuckling and a little hope warmed his heart. 

-----------

Hank joined the others at the picnic with a huge stack of Twinkie boxes. He playful dropped the boxes onto an empty picnic table and smiled at Bobby, who was staring at him from the water. He knew he just started the annual fight between him and his good friend. The day would be filled with Bobby's attempts at stealing Hank's stash, and Hank would defend his precious snacks. Of course all the others would get stuck in between, which always added to the fun. He picked up a box of Twinkies and the single box of Ho Hos and retreated to the lake side, where the majority of the team was enjoying the sun and water.

Not one to enjoy swimming, due to his thick pelt, he plopped down next to Logan on the dock. Logan was drinking his normal poison of beer and smoking a cigar while basking in the sun. Three things Hank never understood about Logan. The Canadian's healing factor did not allow him to become intoxicated by alcohol or nicotine, nor did his body tan because of it. Even though he would find Logan practising all three on a normal basis. Well he might as well indulge his bad habits as well. He ripped open his box of Twinkies and began eating the sugary treats making sure to make his indulgence known. He just had to wait for Bobby to make his move.

Logan laughed and shook his head. He knew this ritual could get ugly. Someone would normally get hurt, or at least pissed off at Hank and Bobby by the end of the picnic because of this little war they fought. Logan himself thought it added to the togetherness of the picnic each year. No matter what happened he could count on this picnic and the boys Twinkie war. He glanced down at the now half empty box and noticed the Ho Hos underneath. "Ya think just because it's chocolate Bobby won't go after it?"

Hank gave Logan a look of confusion., then his eyes went wide with acknowledgment when Logan tapped the box of Ho Hos. "Ah, no. Robert nor I would ever eat those horrible imitations of Hostess treats. Those are actually for Remy. I did not want them to become innocent casualties in this little dispute."

"So ya don't see eye to eye on your sugar fixes huh?" Logan laughed. He had to admit he liked Ho Hos better then Twinkies as well, if he was forced to choose. He normally tried to stay away from both, way too much sugar for his palate.

"I tried to break him of his fixation of the terrible things, teach him that Twinkies are superior, but he just wouldn't convert. I thought I had him on the strawberry ones, but they stopped producing them, so I lost my advantage." Hank smiled as the memories. He glanced up at Remy's window at the mansion which was barely visible from the dock. He frowned to make out the shadowy figure still sitting on the window pane. 

Logan swivelled to see what had caught Hank's eye. "Guess ya couldn't talk him into coming down here either. Every time I think I figured that boy out, he throws me for a loop again. Ya seem to know him pretty well. He has been here almost five years and barely connected with anyone. How did ya manage to be his friend since day one?" Logan hinted at the conversation Hank promised him. He wanted to know their connection. He knew there was something there, but he could never figure it out. If there was one thing he hated, it was not knowing what's going on. 

"I have known Remy a lot longer then everyone else, that is all. I understand why he has some of his peculiar habits."

"I hope ya don't expect to get off that easy. I want the full story." Logan lit another cigar as he stood from the dock edge. He waved his head towards the empty deck chairs near the boathouse. It was away from everyone else, but close enough they wouldn't suspect anything. He wasn't sure what Hank had to say, but he was sure it wasn't anything everyone needed to know, or they would have been told already. 

Hank took the hint, grabbed his snacks, and followed Logan to the deck. He didn't think he should be telling Logan, Remy had asked him to keep it between them and Ororo. Though, telling Logan the story of Remy's childhood might help him understand the Cajun a little better, and that was a good thing. Remy trusted Logan. He convinced himself that if Logan were to ask Remy for the story, he would get it, so it was alright for him to be the teller. "I will tell you, but you must understand this is something Remy does not want the whole team to know."

Logan snorted. "Like everything else in his life?"

"No, Logan, I really mean it. This is nothing that effects his performance with the team." 

"Alright, I won't tell anyone. Not even the Cajun if ya want." 

"That would make me more comfortable with this yes, thank you. So do you want the short version or the full length novel?" Hank smirked at Logan. He was hoping he would choose the short, but knew better.

"Give me the novel. It's a nice day outside and the others are occupied. Might as well take advantage." Logan felt like a gossip, he couldn't wait to hear about Remy and Hank. 

"Well you better grab another beer then, it is not a short story." He watched as Logan jumped down from the deck and picked up a smaller cooler. "Hey! Grab another box of those Twinkies for me, and those chips."

"Blue, if ya want the damn table of food then come get it yourself!" Logan walked up the few step up to the deck with the cooler of beer and food in hand. He throw the box of snack cakes and chips on the table and pulled out another beer for himself. "Alright, tell me a story, and tell me in English, not doctor."

"Once upon a time..." Hank laughed when he heard the grumble from Logan. "Alright, Alright, when I graduated medical school I was very young by the standards of the medical profession. There were very few places that would except a 17 year old into residency. After weighing my handful of choices I decided on Tulane Hospital in New Orleans. They specialized in children with emergency needs, along with the typical ER cases. Knowing that I always had a job available to me here at the mansion, I thought it would be a good experience to work with the children as well as the adult cases.

On my last year of residency we got a call...

***~*~*~*~*~*~* 15 yrs. ago. New Orleans Mercy Hospital *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

"Dr. McCoy!"

"Yes, Mary?" 

"We just got a call in from dispatch. A police officer is bringing in a child from a warehouse fire. He is on his way now. They say the boy is not injured, but is panicking. I thought maybe someone would wait outside just in case the officer needs help." 

Hank nodded and smiled at teh blonde nurse everyone called Mary. She was his favorite. There was no attraction, but she was the kindest nurse on staff. There were several nurses and doctors in the hospital that he trusted and enjoyed working with. There was also those choice few that he couldn't believe passed there medical exams, let alone held a job working in a pediatrics hospital. 

"I'll meet him out front. Can you prepare a room close to the desk. If the boy is scared he will need constant supervision." He picked up the chart with the information on the child in route to the hospital and headed towards the front doors. Looking over the papers there was little information the cop gave them. Just that the boy was found in an alley close to a building that mysteriously caught on fire. The child seemed to be about six years old and though there was not visible injuries, he seemed to be in shock.

He stood outside, in the surprisingly, empty parking lot of the hospital. It was late at night and everything seemed to be quiet that night. He watched in surprise squeal of tires broke the silence. A police car, with sirens blaring, pulled up quickly into the lot, clipping the curb as it drove in. The vehicle stopped abruptly in front of the entrance with a screech of rubber against asphalt. 

Hank was about to walk up to the car when the officer quickly stepped out of the door with a rifle. The policeman seemed to be oblivious to the doctor, who was now stepping back. With a look of terror the officer pumped the rifle and ripped open the back driver's side door to the squad car. The back seat seemed to be empty from Hank's point of view, so he could not understand exactly what was going on. Hank watched in confusion as the man pointed the gun towards the seat and demanded that the 'monster' get out of his car.

That's when Hank's acute hearing picked up the cries of a child from the car. He sprung into action. He could not believe a police officer would threaten a child, no matter how hostile. He ran to the passengers side door and attempted to get the policeman to talk to him. "What is going on? Put the gun down! That is a child!"

The officer didn't take his eye off the small boy in the back seat, the gun stayed aimed. "This ain't no kid. It's a god damn vampire!"

Hank looked at the officer in disbelief. He knew that the people in the area were more superstitious then most, but this was ridiculous. He knelt down so he could see in the window of the vehicle. He saw the small boy curled up in the seat, shaking violently. The boy was obviously scared, but was no threat to anyone other then himself. Hank stood back up to look at the police officer over the roof of the car. The man had not moved. "Listen, if you put the gun away I can remove the child from your vehicle. I just need you to step away."

"It's a fucking demon! Y' can't take it in the hospital. It'll kill everybody!" The officer leaned in closer with the gun, pointing it only inches from the boys head. "I should put it out of it's misery."

"No! Stop! You can't just shoot him. I will get him out of the car, we will deal with it from there. Please." With that Hank opened the back passenger doors in hopes that if he was in the line of fire the cop would withdrawl. The second he opened the door the boy went into a frenzy. Trying to get away from the new stranger that entered the car, only to run into the other one with a gun. Trapped, the boy coward down in the floor board. The boy curled up into a ball and began rocking while chanting "Take me back." over and over. Hank was at a loss of what to do. He wanted to go inside and get help, but was afraid to leave the child alone with the officer.

Then suddenly he heard sirens coming towards the parking lot. Hank was relieved to see another squad car pull up. The female officer quickly confronted the other cop and made him step away. She pushed him back from the car and shut the door quietly behind them. She then signalled to Hank that he had the lead to get the boy from the car, as she calmed her colleague down. 

Hank hoped that it would be easier to move the boy out and into the hospital now that the threat was removed. Looking into the car he saw the boy was beyond panic. He was beating on the windows and the cage trying to get out. The moment Hank leaned into the car the boy stopped and pressed his back into the now closed door. The doctor could hear the boy hyperventilating and saw the blood on his forehead from running into the cage barrier in panic. 

Hank reached out his hand to the small boy in a friendly gesture, only to cause a small yelp and recoil from the boy. "Listen, I need you to come with me. I will not hurt you."

"NO! You have to take me back! He'll punish me if you don't take me back!" The boy pushed further into the door, never looking at the man in front of him.

Hank noticed that the boy kept his eyes to the floor, which was frustrating. If he could see the boys eyes he could tell how deep into shock the boy had fallen. He was desperate. He could see that the original officer on the scene was getting agitated, the other cop would not be able to hold him back much longer. He hated to play on the boys fears, but he had to do anything he could to get the child away from the car. "If you come with me I promise you will not be punished. You were brought here to me. Now please, come on out so we can go inside."

The boy whimpered and glanced up at the doctor, only to quickly look away. He slowly moved down onto his stomach, placing his forehead to the seat, as if bowing to a god. "I'm sorry. Don't punish me, I didn't know."

Hank was frozen in shock, he had gotten his first glance at the boys eyes. They were like nothing he had seen before. Red and black, like a demons. He now understood where the policeman was getting his claims. Hank knew better though, the boy before him was not a demon, or a vampire, he was most likely just a mutant. He never expected to run into a mutant, especially not one so young. Now he didn't know what to do. The situation was like nothing he had dealt with. 

He quickly shook himself out of his thoughts when the yelling between the officers suddenly increased. He had run out of time. He gently put his big hands under the boy and pulled him towards him. When he picked the child up into his arms the boy went rigid and began to panic again. Before Hank could calm the boy in his arms, he went limp, passing out from the excitement. The doctor held the boy tight to his chest and ran into the hospital. A feeling of dread began to built in his gut. He could already tell this boy had been through too much in his small life, he could only hope that he could help him to heal.

TBC


	2. Part 2

------------------
Notes: This is AU, so some or all of the original Marvel plot did not happen! As usual, I went easy on the accents. As my trademark, I have chosen misspellings and bad grammar just to annoy my English teacher. ^_^ 
***~*~*This means flashback*~*~*~ **If you want the Wayne's World noises you will have to make them yourself!
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Marvel, not me. I make no money from my fanfiction. 
-----------------

"So Remy was pretty fucked up then?" Logan asked after the last swig of beer. He threw the bottle into the trashcan across the deck, causing it to break inside the metal can.

Hank scowled at Logan's harsh interpretation. "Remy was not 'fucked up'. He was a very frightened boy that was forced to live in a lifestyle no human, especially a child, should be subjected too."

Logan raised his eyebrow at that. He figured the police just found him outside a house fire and that was that. "'Lifestyle'? Did his parents abuse him or something?"

"His parents no, abuse yes. It took us a while to get him comfortable enough to let us in the room, let alone talk to us. There were a lot of complications."

"Complications? This gets more interesting by the second." Logan popped open a new beer and offered one to Hank. 

"No, thank you Logan. Yes there was certain events that shouldn't have occurred, but it was quickly solved...........

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'll take the boy Dr. McCoy." 

"No offense Dr. Blanchard, but he is very frightened. I feel the less people introduced to the child the better." Hank hated to hand any child over to Dr. Blanchard, especially one as scared as this one. The doctor was good at what he did, but his treatment of children was horrid. He was too cold hearted to care for someone that obviously needed a little kindness.

"That is not your decision. I am the Chief of Emergency Medicine and you are simply a Resident. Now do as I say and take the child to that bed over there. Once I have examined him, he will be moved to his room. Make sure to fill out his chart with the information you have on his condition, and continue with your normal rounds."

Hank sighed angrily and followed his orders. He placed the boy on the examining table in the center of the ER. There were several people laying in medical beds and tables. He hoped the boy would not wake until he was in his room. Waking to this kind of crowd could only be terrifying to this child. He feared the other patients would find him threatening as well. He did not want the boy being accused of being a vampire again.

Hank grabbed the boy's chart. He needed to speak to the police officers and find out just what happened. Then he would talk to Dr. Touchet. He hated to go over someones head like this but he had already become attached to the boy. He didn't know if it was the utter fear the boy had shown him, or the fact that he was a mutant, but he wanted to be the one that took care of him, not Dr. Blanchard.

-----------------

Hank sighed. Talking to the police officers that brought the boy to the hospital had not made much clear. The boy was found outside a warehouse fire trying to get back into the building, that was blazing out of control. The female officer explained the boy was scared of everyone that approached him, especially the females, and was hell bent on staying were he was. When the boy passed out they quickly put him in the car and brought him to the hospital. That is where her partner got his first look at the boys eyes.

She apologized for her partner's behavior, and begged the doctor not to file charges. Hank agreed as long as she promised to talk to him. Explain the difference between vampires and mutants. He also wanted to be kept up to date on any leads of the boys guardians. She happily agreed to his conditions. She would call him as soon as anyone filed a report for a missing boy with red eyes. He had a feeling that was not going to happen, or at least hoped it wouldn't. The boy was obviously in conditions that he should not be in. Maybe finding his parents was a bad thing.

He stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened to the office and psychiatric ward of the hospital. He needed to convince the Chief of Staff to hand over the child to his charge. He was pretty sure this would not be difficult. He was very friendly with Dr. Touchet. Few knew that the Chief of Staff was a mutant telepath himself, very low on the scale of things, but a mutant all the same. It gave them a common bond. He also knew that Dr. Touchet was never fond of Dr. Blanchard's way with children, another thing on his side.

He knocked lightly on the office door, and was instantly called in. "Good evening Dr. Touchet."

"Ah, Henry. I was expecting you sometime soon." The older doctor waved to the chair in front of him.

"You were sir?" Hank said surprised as he took the offered chair.

"Mary has already called here telling me about the child you brought into the ER. She is complaining of Dr. Blanchard's handling of the patient."

Hank had to smile slightly at that. Mary was never one to keep her opinions to herself. If she thought something was being handled wrong she would show no restraint in telling you. Or going over your head as she obviously had done this time. "Yes, that is why I have come to talk to you. I fear that this child is a special case that Dr. Blanchard would hinder more then aid. The boy is very frightened of strangers, he has obviously been through something very traumatic, and...."

Dr. Touchet smiled and nodded, before raising his hand for the young doctor to stop. He had already made his decision based one what he knew. "Henry, I have already decided to pass the child's care onto you. I feel since you were the first to make contact that you would be more familiar to the child. I had Dr. Blanchard bring me his charts while you were speaking to the police. He has informed me that the boy did not have any major physical injuries, just malnourished and slightly dehydrated, but nothing life threatening. There are signs of abuse, so I took the liberty, and made arrangements with Dr. Olivier to met with the boy when things had quieted down. I am sure the child will need some psychiatric care."

Hank nodded. "Yes he will. I thank you for giving me this chance sir. You won't regret it."

Dr. Touchet handed the records to Hank. "Don't worry about me son, don't let that boy down there regret it...." He raised his finger as a sign to hold the thought when the phone rang. "Yes? I understand, I will send him down immediately. Just keep everyone out of the room until he arrives." He hung up the phone. "You need to get down there right away. The boy has woken and is fighting the restraints. He won't let the nurses near him."

"Restraints? My stars and garters, what is he thinking!" Henry ran out of the room and stormed down the stairs, forgetting about waiting on the elevators. His agility made him faster, especially in panic. He couldn't believe Dr. Blanchard would have restrained the boy. He raced through the halls, carefully dodging doctors and patients. He could hear the screams of the boy ripping through the halls as he got closer to the room. A crowd of worried nurses had gathered at the door. He was stopped by Mary who saw him first.

"We don't know what to do. If any of us try to get near him he goes into hysterics. We are afraid to touch him, but he going to break his arms if we don't get him out of those restraints." She pulled Henry through the crowd to the door so he could see the panic the child was in. 

The boy was kneeling on the bed trying to rip his arms from the restraints tying him to the bed. The IV, that the cuffs were obviously put on him to protect, was lying on the floor. He quickly made his way into the room, not caring if it caused more hysterics. He couldn't allow the child to pull his arm out of socket or break a wrist. 

The moment he came into view the boy dropped his eyes and stop his fight instantly, bowing to him again. He reached out to brush back the boys hair, in hopes of getting the boy to understand he was not out to hurt him. He cringed when it had the opposite effect then he hoped. The boy flinched back from his touch violently and began to breathe rapidly. When he tried to remove the cuffs he could hear the boy sobbing. 

"Please, don't punish me. You said you wouldn't. Take me back, take me back, take me...." 

Hank sighed angrily when the boy passed out again. He removed the restraints and dropped them into his pocket, he would question Dr. Blanchard later. He pulled the boy up and laid him gently in the bed, brushing back the rusty hair from his small face. His anger flared again when he saw the boys arms. Bruises had already began to set on the child's wrist and blood covered his arm where the boy had pulled out the IV. He heard someone enter the room, and looked up. Mary stood right inside the door with a worried look on her face.

"Is it alright to come in?" Mary moved closer seeing the boy was asleep. 

"He passed out again. I think it would be better if everyone stayed out of the room while he is awake. At least for now. This should have never happened. Dr. Blanchard should have known better then to restrain a frightened child." He began to bandage the bleeding arm. The area was too bruised to reenter an IV, he would have to start a new one. 

Mary saw that the doctor was angry. She reached over and took the bandage from his hands. "This is my job, tell me what needs to be done. You go give that asshole a piece of your mind, and a pretty damn big chunk of mine. I told him not to do this and he told me to go back to my desk and answer phones. I used the phone alright! I called Dr. Touchet!"

Henry patted Mary on the shoulder. "You did the right thing. The boy has been placed in my care. Dr. Blanchard won't get the chance to do this again. I just need his arm bandaged, and another IV started. Fluids and a sedative is all he needs right now. I want him to sleep through the night. Until I get him in a calm enough state to talk I don't want anyone else in here but me. I will introduce the necessary staff slowly so it will be less traumatic for him." Mary gave him puppy dog eyes, and he laughed. "Yes, you will be the first nurse I will allow in. Now I am going to go find a certain someone to throw these at." Hank dangled the restraints in the air." If he should wake or you need me for anything page me, I won't be far."

-----------------

Hank asked around for Dr. Blanchard until he was pointed towards one of the staff rooms. He stormed in the door, happy that he was alone with the man he had searched out. He threw the restraints on the table in front of the doctor. "What the hell were you thinking tying down a frightened child?"

Dr. Blanchard looked up at Henry with disgust. "They were necessary to keep the IV in."

"Is that why he just ripped it out trying to get out of them? Where were you when he almost broke his arm trying to get out of those damn things? He thought he was being punished, God damn it!" Hank glared at the man when the doctor smiled at him.

"The brat's not my problem anymore. He's in your care now. Where were you?" Dr. Blanchard picked up the cuffs and through them back across the table to Hank.

"You bastard! You better stay away from him. You have done enough damage as it is!" Hank grabbed the restraints and left, slamming the door behind him. He knew he would probably get wrote up for his behavior, but it would be worth it. 

He stopped by the desk to pick up his charts for his normal rounds. He found them missing. He looked up at the dry erase board that listed the doctors in charge of each case and found his name on very few. He glanced at the room the boy was in and found his name listed with a large 'ONLY' in red ink. Next to it was a post it note. He pulled it off and adjusted his glasses to read the messy handwriting.

'Henry, I have transferred most of your workload to other residents. I want you to concentrate on the boy. Dr. Touchet'

Hank smiled and picked up the chart that had been started on the boy and walked towards the nearest breakroom to study his new charge. He wouldn't fail on this one, there was too much at stake.

TBC


	3. Part 3

------------------
Notes: This is AU, so some or all of the original Marvel plot did not happen! As usual, I went easy on the accents. As my trademark, I have chosen misspellings and bad grammar just to annoy my English teacher. ^_^ 
***~*~*This means flashback*~*~*~ **If you want the Wayne's World noises you will have to make them yourself!
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Marvel, not me. I make no money from my fanfiction. 
-----------------

Logan pounced up the stairs from his trip to the picnic table. They had halted the story when Jeannie started making sandwiches, eager to get something in their bellies other then Twinkies and beer. After finishing up with lunch they returned to their seats on the deck when the others slowly drifted back to the water and lakeside. 

Hank took his dessert out of the quickly emptying box of snack cakes. Bobby had managed to snag two from him at the lunch table, which caused an uproar, and a lot of wrestling in the yard. He picked a piece of grass from his fur and flicked it towards the ground. "So where were we?"

"Somewhere around that asshole of a doctor ya worked with and you getting to play big shot with Remy." Logan grabbed the bag of chips and opened them with a pop of the bag. Four ham sandwiches was more of an hors d'oeuvre then lunch, he couldn't wait until dinner.

"Ah yes, that is when I found out about the Antiquary."

"The who? The kid stayed with an antique dealer?" Logan raised and eyebrow while stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth. He couldn't imagine an old man with dusty trinkets being all that scary.

"No, this man didn't collect antiques. He collected children, but I didn't know that at first. I was as clueless as you were. It took me a little while to get the whole picture......"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Henry, he's awake." Mary whispered as she pointed at the room across from her desk. The two way mirrored window showed the boy stirring in his bed.

He had made arrangements with the other doctors and staff, making sure he was the small boy's soul caregiver. After explaining that the boy was terrified of people in general everyone understood. He made it very clear that he was the only one to enter the room, unless there was a emergency. Since the boy did not have any major physical injuries, that should not be a problem. The boy was malnourished and slightly dehydrated, but nothing life threatening. He planned on introducing the necessary staff slowly so it would be less traumatic for the boy. Before doing that he wanted to establish exactly what was going on. He had time to read over the records and the information from Dr. Blanchard's initial exam. The results were gut wrenching. Not only was the boy too small for his assumed age, due mainly to malnutrition, he had bruises, cuts, and scars of various ages that would suggest the boy was beaten on a normal basis. There were no signs of sexual abuse, so that eased his heart a little. He was happy that arrangements were made with the child psychiatrist on staff, the boy would most defiantly need it.

He looked at the chart again, surprised at how thick it already was and he had not even found out the boy's name. He took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door. It tugged at his heart to watch the boy quickly bow his head, and even in his weakened state try to lower himself before him. He shook his head in disbelief at this action. He sat down at the end of the bed and watched the reactions of the boy closely. He heard a small whimper escape the boys lips and the trembling began again. He had learned to hold back his instinct to reach out to the small child, it only caused the boy stress. "I will not hurt you. Will you sit up and look at me?" 

The boy obeyed and sat up, his head still bowed and his eyes cast downward. He sat folded on the bed, his hands in small fists on his lap. Hank cringed at the almost automatic way the boy took the position. Someone had trained him to do this. This was going to take a lot more work then he thought. 

"Will you open your eyes and look at me please?" Hank ducked his head in attempts to see if the boy's eyes when he didn't comply. He could see the tears rolling down the child's cheeks. He could not imagine how scared this poor boy was. He decided it best not to push the request, it may make him come off as more threatening. Maybe an explanation was in order.

"It is alright if you do not want to look at me, I understand you are frightened. My name is Henry. I am a doctor, and this is the hospital I work in. You were brought here to me because you are ill. Do you understand?" He saw the single nod come from the boy, he wondered if the boy truly understood, or if he was programmed to do that when asked a question. "I want you to know that you will not be harmed while you are here. Whoever hurt you before was very wrong...." He stopped when the boys breathing picked up, almost to the point of hyperventilating. "Please tell me whats wrong. You can talk to me, you will not be punished."

"Take me back." the boy whispered.

"Take you back where?" Hank questioned. Seeing the hesitation he coaxed the boy a little. "You can talk to me, you will not be punished for it. I want you to speak when you want to. I would like it if you looked at me as well."

The boy slowly lifted his eyes to look at the doctor. He was hesitant and leaned away slightly, fear of being punished for his actions. After a long moment of silence he answered. "I have to go back to the Antiquary."

Hank smiled inwardly at the progress. At least he had the boy talking and looking at him. "Why do you want to go back to the Antiquary?"

"I have to, he will punish me if I leave. If he finds out I'm gone he will hurt me when I return. We're not allowed to leave. I shouldn't have gone outside, but it was so hot. I shouldn't be here."

"Right now this is where you belong. You are sick and hurt. You will not be going back to this Antiquary. He hit you, and that is wrong. No one has the right to hurt you like he did. You know that what he did is wrong right?" He watched the boys reaction in confusion. The boy refused to answer the question and his eyes darted around the room in panic. "Is there something wrong?"

"You can't talk like that, he will hear you." the boy whispered.

Hank shook his head. "No, he will not. You are safe from him now. He cannot hurt you here."

The boy's eyes widened. "Really?" he choked out in disbelief.

"I promise. No one will hurt you while you are here." Hank sighed heavily when the boy looked down at his bruised wrist. He cursed Dr. Blanchard for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "I am sorry about the restraints. Those were not meant as punishment. They were put on so that you would not pull out the IV in your sleep." Hank pointed at the IV that was now in his opposite arm.

"Oh. I'm sorry for pulling the other one out. I didn't know...." The sentence was cut off by a large yawn. The boy quickly covered his mouth and trembled slightly, expecting punishment.

Hank smiled hoping to reassure the small boy. "I see that you are tired, so let me make this brief. There are two questions I want you to answer for me. First, what is your name?"

"Le Diable Blanc."

"What? That can't be your name." Hank was surprised when the boy made it very clear he was serious. He knew very little French, but he was sure that meant 'white devil'. He was not about to call a child that. "We will find something more appropriate to call you, alright?" The boy nodded. "Next question, are you hungry?"

The boy's eye lit up and he nodded. "Is it my time to eat?"

"It's your time to eat anytime you are hungry. You just tell me and I will get you some food. How about I go get you something right now?" Hank stood to go do just that when the boy smiled for the first time since he arrived. 

"I like you as my new master." the boy whispered.

Hank stopped in his tracks and turned on his heals. He couldn't believe the boy just called him his master. "I'm not your master." He saw the boys confusion and tried to explain. "Listen, you have no master here. I will take care of you, if you need anything you just tell me, but I am not your master. There are a whole group of people that would love to help you, and you will meet them soon. Right now, I want to get to know you, not as your master, but as your friend. Understand?"

Remy nodded, still a little hesitant to believe he was actually free. Slavery was all he had known. 

"Okay, I'm going to go get you some food, I'll be back in a little bit. Why don't you rest while I'm gone." He pulled the covers up and tucked the boy in. Happy that he didn't flinch from him. He didn't dare try and touch the boy yet, he didn't want to break the small thread of trust forming between the two of them. He picked up the chart from the tray and headed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. 

He walked up to the desk and dropped the chart into it holding place. He startled when a hand dropped on his shoulder from behind. 

"So? Is he alright?" 

"Mary, you scared me half to death. He seems to be coming along. Whoever his guardians are they need to be arrested. The boy has been programmed, most likely by abuse." Hank fingered the business card in his pocket. He would need to call the police and inform them that the guardians, if found, needed to be questioned.

"Did he say anything about his parents or who was watching him?" Mary pulled out two chairs, forcing the doctor into one. She wanted to know everything about the boy, she would be the first nurse in there, and she wanted to know what to expect.

"He said something about the Antiquary. I'm not sure who that is....Mary?" Hank was surprised when Mary stood abruptly and ran from the desk to the two way window by the boys room. He stood and followed her over. "Is something wrong?"

"He was one of the Antiquaries? Oh Lord, the poor child." She rested her hand on Hank's arm for support. She never thought the legends were true. She thought the Antiquary was just a story told to bad children. Needless to say she heard it a lot.

"Yes, that is unfortunate, I'm glad I was called." 

Hank turned and smiled at Dr. Olivier. She carried an almost cold air with her, to the common stranger she seemed emotionless and almost cruel. He knew better, she was totally different in front of the children she helped. When he first started working with her he had wondered which was the real Dr. Olivier, he decided that the face she showed the children was the real woman behind the doctors mask. "Alright, I am not from around her, who is this Antiquary?"

"There is little known about him. Very few have escaped his clutches. The handful that has gotten away from the foul man are too far gone to help. He is a collector of children, mainly mutants, or those believed to hold the genes. From what has been said he is obsessed with power and collects these children to control, so that they do not oppose him later. The ones that hold mutant powers, that are useful, he uses for his own gains, collecting other children or becoming trained thieves. The ones that possess weaker powers or none at all are normally sold to the human slave trade or the black market for organ harvest. Have you been able to talk to him?"

"Only for a few moments, I believe I am gaining his trust. I don't think he is ready for another meeting with a stranger just yet." Hank pulled the others from the window when the boy opened his eyes and looked at the mirror inside his room. He wondered if those eyes could see through the deception. He didn't want to take the chance.

"Very well, I would like to see him as soon as possible. We are very lucky to have found the child so young. He may not have been damaged too much. My colleague has done some research with an adult that was once in the Antiquaries collection. I will contact him, maybe he will have some information that will stop us from going a wrong direction." She patted Hank on the shoulder and gave him a rare smile. 

Hank walked to the window that Mary had drifted back to. "You may not want to stand here, I think he can see through this mirror with those eyes of his."

Mary nodded and stepped away, following Hank back to the desk. "I don't believe someone would be so cruel. He's an adorable child."

Hank sighed. He knew what that meant. He had watched the nurse do this with countless children. The second he let her in that room she would spoil the child to death. He had to admit that maybe that was something the boy needed. "When I let you in there you cannot attack him with your motherly obsessions, it will only scare him."

The nurse gave him a mock huff and put her fists on her hips playfully. "Henry! How dare you call my habits of spoiling a child rotten obsessive!" She winked at the doctor and carried on with her job. 

Hank shook his head and headed to the kitchen below on his initial quest for food. As he stood in the elevator he pondered exactly what he had gotten himself into. He couldn't believe someone would keep children as slaves. He thought that was a practice that had gone extinct long ago. He had learned a lot about that real world through Xavier's school and being here in the Big Easy. Things he would have never seen on the farms in Illinois. Sometimes he wishes that he could have stayed on the farms and never witnessed any of this. He then realizes that the child downstairs probably wishes that to. He decided it was up to him to make a happy medium for them both. Someplace for them both to be happy where they are.

TBC


End file.
